The Greasy Pole
Last weekend, we went up to Gloucester in the foggy, unpredictable, muggy weather to witness the annual Greasy Pole contest - a battle of dexterity between local men who grapple as far as they can across a slippery telephone pole to try and capture a flag at its end. It's a long, comical, sometimes painful ride, as the colorfully dressed contestants showcase their talents and consecutively bruise their egos (and occasionally body parts as well). The only drawback for the spectators is that the nearest beach is a good 200 feet from the shore, if not more, and without binoculars, it's tough to see exactly what's going on. With the naked eye, however, you can see about this much - the outlines of a costume and bodies tumbling toward the chilly Atlantic water.